Join Leonardo DiCaprio in Fighting to Save Chile’s Rare Frog

One of the world’s rarest frogs could be pushed even closer to extinction — and Leonardo DiCaprio is calling attention to the fight to save it.

The critically endangered Pehuenche spiny-chest frog (Alsodes pehuenche) lives in just a tiny stretch of the Andes along the Chile-Argentina border. These small amphibians depend on cold, snowmelt-fed mountain streams, and only a small population is believed to remain in the wild.

Now, a proposed electricity transmission project could further threaten the fragile habitat they need to survive.

The Los Cóndores–Río Diamante project, being developed by Enel Generación Chile, is undergoing environmental review amid concerns about its potential impact on Pehuenche frog habitat. The species has already faced habitat degradation from roads, livestock and other human activity, and scientists and conservationists warn that further damage to its extremely limited range could put its survival at even greater risk.

Leonardo DiCaprio, a longtime conservation advocate, has now joined the effort to raise awareness. He has urged Chile to protect the Pehuenche frog as officials consider the project, helping bring international attention to a species most people have never heard of — but that could disappear forever if its habitat is lost.

This does not have to be a choice between clean energy and wildlife.

The transition away from fossil fuels is essential, but clean-energy infrastructure should be built responsibly. Projects meant to protect our planet should also protect the species and ecosystems that make it worth protecting. That means following the science, avoiding irreplaceable habitat and finding safer alternatives when endangered wildlife is at risk.

Once the Pehuenche frog is gone, we cannot bring it back. The climate and biodiversity crises are deeply connected, each fueling the other — which is why our solutions to one must not make the other worse.

Please sign the petition to tell Chilean authorities and Enel Generación Chile to protect the Pehuenche frog and make sure clean-energy development does not come at the cost of extinction.

The petition to Chilean authorities and Enel Generación Chile reads: Protect the critically endangered Pehuenche frog by ensuring the Los Cóndores–Río Diamante electrical interconnection does not destroy or significantly damage habitat that’s essential to its survival. Require responsible alternatives or modifications wherever necessary to safeguard this remarkable species. Clean energy must protect our planet — including the wildlife who call it home.
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Source: 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-10/dicaprio-wades-into-chilean-power-project-over-endangered-frog

Photo: By Walter Prado - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83816121